1. Sensitization of T cells to CD95-mediated apoptosis by HIV-1 Tat and gp120
- Author
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Michael Westendorp, Christina Ochsenbauer, Kirstin Stricker, Henning Walczak, Klaus Michael Debating, Rainer Frank, Peter H. Krammer, and Jens Dhein
- Subjects
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,Programmed cell death ,Fas Ligand Protein ,CD3 Complex ,T-Lymphocytes ,Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ,Apoptosis ,HIV Infections ,CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ,HIV Envelope Protein gp120 ,Biology ,Lymphocyte Activation ,Virus ,Cell Line ,Antigen ,Downregulation and upregulation ,Tumor Cells, Cultured ,Humans ,fas Receptor ,Membrane Glycoproteins ,Multidisciplinary ,T-cell receptor ,virus diseases ,Fas receptor ,Virology ,Cross-Linking Reagents ,Cell culture ,Antigens, Surface ,Gene Products, tat ,Cancer research ,tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus - Abstract
The depletion of CD4+ T cells in AIDS is correlated with high turnover of the human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 and associated with apoptosis. The molecular mechanism of apoptosis in HIV infection, however, is largely unknown. T-cell apoptosis might be affected by viral proteins such as HIV-1 Tat and gp120 (refs 10, 11). T-cell-receptor (TCR)-induced apoptosis was recently shown to involve the CD95 (APO-1/Fas) receptor. We show here that HIV-1 Tat strongly sensitizes TCR- and CD4(gp120)-induced apoptosis by upregulation of CD95 ligand expression. Concentrations of Tat found to be effective in cultures of HIV-1-infected cells were also observed in sera from HIV-1-infected individuals. Taken together, our results indicate that HIV-1 Tat and gp120 accelerate CD95-mediated, activation-induced T-cell apoptosis, a mechanism that may contribute to CD4+ T-cell depletion in AIDS.
- Published
- 1995
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